1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a hammer device for driving ground rods into the earth, and more specifically to a hammer device that can be attached to standard construction machinery.
2. Background of the Prior Art
When erecting high voltage, electric transmission poles, all pole installations require ground rods to be driven at each location where a pole is installed. This part of the construction requires driving as many as ten or more ground rods in succession at each pole location. Such ground rods are typically ⅝″ to ¾″ in diameter and 8′ to 10′ in length. The normal installation method is to drive one rod into the earth adjacent to the new pole location, couple successive rods on top of any previous rod, and continue driving until the total length driven into the ground is 70′ or more. The purpose of driving such ground rods in this manner is to achieve an electrical resistance level as required by design. These ground rods are connected to the new steel poles using copper wire to create a path for any electrical over current condition.
The type of equipment that the present invention is designed to be used with is known as a Skid Steer. Many companies manufacture this type of machine and each company has different variations for what equipment can be attached and how the machine is propelled. Some machines have rubber tires, some have tracks, and some have a combination of both. All Skid Steer type equipment has an industry standard attachment plate on the front of the machine to connect various types of apparatuses or attachments to the actual equipment. Such attachments are many and perform all types of functions. There are buckets for digging earth, chain devices for trenching, backhoe attachments for earth excavating, augers for drilling holes, hammers for breaking concrete or rock, etc. Nevertheless, none of these attachments can be used to drive ground rods.